COVID-19: what we can learn from the first AIDS panic

I was in charge of communications for the largest AIDS NGO in the United States in 1983. I see quite a few similarities between the terror then and the COVID-19 panic now. And there are clear lessons for policy makers about what we should learn from that panic about AIDS

 

“Triage may be the key to managing this crisis, but the challenge is that doctors in many countries have spent years insisting that patients come through them for everything from repeat prescriptions to cholesterol checks to flu jabs. All could be done more efficiently on line or through self-care, but undoing this network of protectionism will take time and political will….”

“Once we knew that HIV caused AIDS, we knew that those who tested positive would be the victims of discrimination. With COVID-19, it may work the other way: imagine the premium that employers may be tempted to place on those who can show they have protective antibodies and can travel at will, without endangering themselves or others?”

Our Baird’s CMC sexual and reproductive health team will be adding many more thoughts

What We Learned From HIV/AIDS: Panic Will Make It Worse